Merchandise carrying rack having shock resistant coupling means



June 13, 1961 G. D. STOUGH MERCHANDISE CARRYING RACK HAVING SHOCKRESISTANT COUPLING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 4, 1957 INVENTOR.

GERALD. D. STOUGH FIG.2.

ATTORNEYS June 13, 1961 G. D. STOUGH MERCHANDISE CARRYING RACK HAVINGSHOCK RESISTANT COUPLING MEANS Filed Oct. 4, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY MMaw I ATTORNEYS United States Patent-Q" 2,988,018 MERCHANDISE CARRYINGRA'CK HAVING SHOCK RESISTANT COUPLING MEANS Gerald D. Stough, Detroit,Mich., assignor to Whitehead & Kales Company, River Rouge, Mich., acorporation of Michigan Filed Oct. 4, 1957, Ser. No. 688,237 13 Claims.(Cl. 105-369) This invention relates generally to means for anchoringportable merchandise carrying racks or holders within the storagechambers of transport vehicles, and refers more particularly toanchorage means capable of restraining said racks against horizontalmovement while permitting the static load thereof to be carried by thefioor of said chamber independently of the upright side walls thereof.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of my prior copendingapplication Serial No. 669,222, filed July 1, 1957 which is nowabandoned.

One of the essential objects of the invention is to provide anchoringmeans on said racks at opposite ends thereof capable of being detachablyinterlocked automatically with cooperating anchorage means on theupright side walls of the storage chamber when such racks are loweredvertically by a lift-truck or the like toward the floor of the storagechamber.

Another object is to provide the racks with anchoring means that includeyieldable members capable of absorbing the shock load when the anchoredracks tend to move horizontally in either a direction transverse of thestorage chamber or in a direction lengthwise of the storage chamber, andthat also includes means providing positive stops for preventing theanchored racks from accidentally moving lengthwise of the storagechamber beyond predetermined limits, in the event the shock absorbingmeans should rupture or break loose.

Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of thisinvention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds,especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one of the portable racks or holdersembodying my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a storage chamber of atransport vehicle and showing on the spaced upright walls of saidchamber anchorage members for portable racks of the type illustrated inFIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional View through the storagechamber of the transport vehicle and showing the anchoring members atone end of stacked racks in engagement with the anchorage members uponthe adjacent upright wall of said storage chamber.

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of a plurality of racks orholders arranged in a vertical stack.

Referring now to the drawings, A is a transport vehicle storage chamberhaving a load-sustaining floor and spaced upright side walls 11extending upwardly from and rigid with said floor, and B is a portablerectangular rack or holder having a length substantially equal to thedistance between the side walls 11 of the storage chamber and comprisinga horizontally extending rectangular frame B having upright corner posts12 and substantially horizontal side and end bars 13 and 14 respectivelyextending between and rigidly connected to said posts intermediate theirupper and lower ends. Such posts 12 and bars 13 and 14 may be anysuitable construction and may be formed of any suitable material. Thusthe bars 13 and '14 may initially be varied in construction orcon-figuration Patented June 13, 1961 according to the nature of themerchandise to be carried thereby. The posts 12 constituteload-sustaining elements and are adapted to be supported upon the floor10 of the storage chamber to transmit thereto the weight of the rack andmerchandise carried thereby.

Preferably the upper ends of the posts 12 are provided with upwardlyprojecting pilot portions 15 for engagement with the recesses 16 in thelower ends of posts of a superimposed rack, whereby the racks may bearranged in stacked relation within the storage chamber A of a transportvehicle. Thus all available space within the storage chamber A can beutilized for the reception of the racks.

In the present instance, the means for anchoring the racks B within atransport vehicle storage chamber A comprises vertically spacedsubstantially horizontal rails 20 and 21 fixed to the upright side walls11 of the storage chamber, and laterally spaced substantially T-shapedlugs 22 fixed to and projecting horizontally from transversely extendingsubstantially horizontal channel bars 23 at opposite ends of the racks.Preferably these bars 23 bridge the outer sides of and are rigidlyconnected to laterally spaced blocks 24 of rubber or rubber compositionwhich in turn are respectively rigidly connected at their inner sides tochannel brackets 25 fixed to the upright posts 12 of the rack. Suchchannel bars 23 and channel brackets 25 constitute outer and inner rigidholders for the blocks 24 of resilient material.

The rails 20 and 21 may be formed of any suitable material such as sheetmetal and may be rigidly secured by any suitable means to the uprightwalls 11. Preferably the lowermost rails 20 have upright or verticallyex tending portions 26 spaced from the upright walls 11, laterallyextending portions 27 at the upper edges of the upright portions 26, andattaching flanges 28 and 29 respectively at the outer edges of thelateral portions 27 and at the lower edges of the upright portions 26and rigidly secured to the upright walls 11 and floor 10 of thetransport vehicle.

The upper rails 21 have upright or vertically extending portions 30spaced from the upright walls 11, laterally extending portions 31 and 32respectively at the upper and lower edges of said upright portions 30,and attaching flanges 33 and 34 respectively at the outer edges of saidlateral portions 31 and 32 and rigidly secured to the upright walls 11.

The lateral portions 27 and 31 respectively of the rails 20 and 21 areprovided with longitudinally spaced vertically open substantiallyrectangular apertures 35, while the upright portions 26 and 30 of therails 20 and 21 are provided with longitudinally spaced verticallyextending elongated slots or apertures 36 that are uniform in width andopen upwardly into the apertures 35 substantially midway the endsthereof. V

The spacing of the apertures 35 in the lateral portions 27 and 31 andthe spacing of the elongated slots 36 in the upright portions of therails correspond to the spacing of the T-shaped lugs 22 on opposite endsof the racks or holders B. Moreover, the rails 20 and 21 and theapertures and slots in said rails are so constructed and arranged thatthe apertures and slots mentioned may be engaged automatically by thelugs 22 on opposite ends of the racks when the latter are loweredvertically by a lift-truck (not shown), to permit the load of the racksB to be carried entirely by the floor 10 of the vehicle independently ofthe upright walls 11 and rails 20 and 21.

The lugs 22 at opposite ends of the racks have lateral attaching flanges40 rigidly secured in surface-to-surface relation to the upright sides41 of the channel bars 23, and the upright sides 42 of the channelbrackets 25 are rigidly secured in surface-to-surface relation to theposts locked with the posts not the lower racks.

12.. The blocks 24 of. rubber or rubber composition are within andrigidly secured to the channels of the bars 23 and brackets 25. The lugs22 also have horizontally extending'stem portions 43 of substantiallyuniform or equal width provided at their outer ends with head portionsM- extending laterally from and disposed at substantially right anglesto the stem portions 43.

In the present instance, the anchoring means on opposite ends of theracks B also includes means providing positive stops for preventing theanchored racks from accidentally moving lengthwise of the storagechamber A beyond predetermined limits, in the event the rubber blocks orshock absorbing elements 24 should rupture or break loose. As shown, asingle metallic lug '50 is rigid with and projects horizontally from theinner side of each channel bar 23 at a point substantially midway itsends, while laterally spaced metallic lugs 51 and 52 respectivelyproject horizontally from the outer side of each of the lowermost endbars 14 of the rack and are located upon opposite sides andsubstantially in the horizontal plane of the lug 50.

Thus, when the racks B are detachably interlocked with the rails 20 and21, the channel bars 23 and the lugs 50 on the inner sides thereof willbe held against movement lengthwise of the storage chamber A by theengagement of the anchoring lugs 22 on the outer sides of said bars 23with the slots 36 in the rails 20 and 21. Inasmuch as the single lugs 50are between and in the horizontal path of the spaced lugs 51 and 52fixed to the outermost sides of the lowermost end bars 14 of the racks,it will be apparent that the single lugs 50 at opposite ends of eachrack will provide positive abutments or stops for preventing theanchored racks from accidentally moving lengthwise of the storagechamber be- .yond predetermined limits, in the event the rubber blocks24 should rupture or break loose.

In use, a rack B may be initially carried by a suitable lift-truck (notshown) to an elevated position extending transversely of thestorage'chamber A of the vehicle, so that the lugs 22 at opposite endsof the rack will be above and in veitical alignment with the apertures35 in the rails 20. Then the rack B is lowered vertically by thelift-truck so that the heads 44 of the lugs 22 will move downwardlythrough the apertures 35 in the lateral portions 27 of the rails 20.Further vertical downward movement of the rack by the lift-truck willcause the heads of the lugs 22 to pass downwardly behind the uprightportions 26 of the rails 20 and will cause the stems 43 to movedownwardly in the elongated slots 36. In this position, the oppositeends of the rack B are bridged by the horizontally extending rails 20,and the lugs 22 on opposite ends of the rack are detachably interlockedwith the rails 20.

When the racks B are arranged in stacked relation, the posts 12 of theupper racks will be supported by and inter- Thus the load of any singlerack or the load of the stacked racks is carried by the floor of thevehicle independently of the side walls 11 and the rails and 21.

When the transport vehicle'in which the racks are anchored is stoppedsuddenly while in motion in either a forward or a rearward direction,there is a tendency of the racks to shift or move lengthwise of thevehicle. When this occurs, the blocks 24 of rubber or rubber compositionwill effectively absorb the shock load and will yieldingly oppose anylongitudinal movement of the racks B horizontally in a directionlengthwise of the transport vehicle.

The head portions 44 of the lugs 22, in cooperation with the uprightportions 26 and 30 respectively of the rails 20 and 21 will effectivelyrestrain the racks or holders from any displacement transversely of thevehicle.

Thus, in each instance, the stresses occasioned by any longitudinal ortransverse movement of the racks B will 4 be transmitted to the rails 20and 21 and through them to the side walls 11 of the vehicle, but thestatic load of the racks will always be transmitted by the posts 12 ofthe racks to the floor 19 of the vehicle independently of said sidewalls 11 and rails 20 and 21.

In the event the rubber blocks 24 at one endof an anchored rack shouldrupture or break loose while the transport vehicle is stopped suddenlywhile in motion, then the rack would have a tendency to move in adirection lengthwise of the storage chamber of the transport vehicle andto carry with it the spaced lugs 51 and 52. However, the single lug 50at such end of the rack would be in the path of and would constitute arigid abutment or'stop for one of the lugs 51 and 52 on the rack,depending upon the direction of movement of the transport vehicle whensuddenly stopped. However, the lugs 51 and 52 can be spaced closertogether so that one of said lugs will abut the lug 50 before the rubberblocks 24 rupture or break loose. Thus, depending upon when it isdesired to have one of the lugs 51 and 52 abut the lug. 50, the spacingof the lugs 51 and 52. relative to the lug 50 can be varied as desiredand is predetermined at the time the lugs 50,51 and 52 respectively areoriginally installed. Consequently, the engagement of one of the lugs'51 and 52'With the abutment lug 50 would prevent the rack fromaccidentally moving lengthwise of the storage chamber beyond apredetermined limit, determined by the'space' or distance originallyprovided between the engaging lug 51 or 52 and the abutment lug 50. Thiswill effectively prevent one rack from crashing into an adjacentanchored rack in the storage chamber of the transport vehicle, and thuswill prevent damage to both racks and to the merchandise carriedthereby.

As above stated, the racks B may be anchored, as described, within astorage chamber of a transport vehicle. Thus the merchandise carried bythe racks need not be removed therefrom from the time such merchandiseis initially loaded onto the racks at the factory where the merchandiseis manufactured. By use of a lift-truck (not shown) the racks Bindividually or in a stack may be moved into and positioned within thestorage chamber of a transport vehicle so that the anchoring lugs 22will be detachably inter-locked automatically as described with therails 20 and 21. In a reverse manner such racks B may be removed fromthe storage chamber of the transport vehicle.

Thus, after the original loading on the racks at the factory, themerchandise may remain intact on the racks until they reach their finaldestination. Accordingly a great saving in labor, time and cost may beobtained. Moreover, the construction of the anchoring means is such thatthe racks will be effectively held while in transit. In this connection,the transport vehicle may be either a cargo truck, a cargo trailer, arailway boxcar, a boat or an airplane.

What I claim as: my invention is:

1. A portable substantially rectangular merchandise carrying rackadapted to extend transversely across an elongated longitudinallyextending chamber of a transport vehicle and having a transverselyextending end adaptedto be substantially parallel to a longitudinallyextending side wall of said chamber and adapted to be connected to rigidanchorage means on said side wall, said rack having load-sustainingmeans adapted to be slidably supported upon a floor of said chamber, ahorizontally extending rigid bar spaced outwardly from and parallel tothe end aforesaid of said rack, spaced bodies of resilient materialbetween said rigid bar and the end aforesaid of said rack, said bodiesof resilient material being at points spaced longitudinally of saidrigid bar and constituting a support therefor, said bodies of resilientmaterial being secured at one face thereof to the end aforesaid of saidrack in a plane parallel thereto and being secured at their oppositeface to said rigid bar in a esa a plane parallel thereto to yieldinglyresist relative h'orizontal movement between said rack and said rigidbar by being stressed in shear, and rigid anchoring means rigidlysecured to the outer side of said rigid bar and detachably engageablewith the rigid anchorage means aforesaid.

2. A portable substantially rectangular merchandise carrying rackadapted to extend transversely across an elongated longitudinallyextending chamber of a transport vehicle and having transverselyextending ends adapted to be substantially parallel to opposedlongitudinally extending side Walls of said chamber and adapted to beconnected to rigid anchorage means on said opposed side walls, said rackhaving load-sustaining means adapted to be slidably supported upon afloor of said chamber, horizontally extending rigid bars spacedoutwardly from and parallel to the opposite ends aforesaid of said rack,a pair of spaced bodies of resilient material between each rigid bar andan adjacent end aforesaid of said rack, the bodies of each pair being atpoints spaced longitudinally of each rigid bar and constitutingsupporting means therefor, the bodies of each pair being secured at oneface thereof to an end aforesaid of said rack in a plane parallelthereto and secured at the opposite face thereof to the adjacent rigidbar in a plane parallel thereto to yieldingly resist relative horizontalmovement between said rack and said rigid bars by being stressed inshear, and rigid anchoring means rigidly secured to the outer sides ofsaid rigid bars and detachably engageable with the rigid anchorage meansaforesaid.

3. A portable substantially rectangular merchandise carrying rackadapted to extend transversely across an elongated longitudinallyextending chamber of a transport vehicle and having a transverselyextending end adapted to be substantially parallel to a longitudinalextending side wall of said chamber and adapted to be con nected torigid anchorage means on said side wall, said rack havingload-sustaining means adapted to be slidably supported upon a floor ofsaid chamber and having on the outer side of the end aforesaid outwardlyopening horizontally extending rigid channel-shaped means parallel andfixed to the end aforesaid, horizontally extending rigid channel-shapedmeans spaced outwardly from, parallel to, opening inwardly toward, andin a common horizontal plane with said fixed channel-shaped'means,bodies of resilient material extending between and rigidly anchored within the channels of the outwardly opening and the inwardly openingchannel-shaped means aforeshaped means and to yieldingly resist relativehorizontal movement between said rack and said inwardly opening rigidchannel-shaped means by being stressed in shear, and rigid anchoringmeans rigidly secured to the outer side of said inwardly openingchannel-shaped means and detachably engageable with the rigid anchoragemeans aforesaid.

4. A portable substantially rectangular merchandise carrying rackadapted to extend transversely across an elongated longitudinallyextending chamber of a transport vehicle and having transverselyextending ends adapted to be substantially parallel to opposedlongitudinally extending side walls of said chamber and adapted to beconnected to rigid anchorage means on said opposed side walls, said rackhaving load-sustaining means adapted to be slidably supported upon afloor of said chamber and having on the outer sides of the opposite endsaforesaid thereof outwardly opening horizontally extending rigidchannelshaped members parallel and fixed to said ends, horizontallyextending rigid channel-shaped members spaced outwardly from, parallelto, opening inwardly toward, and in a common horizontal plane with saidfixed channelshaped members, bodies of resilient material extendingbetween and rigidly anchored Within the channels of the outwardlyopening and the inwardly opening channelshaped members aforesaid tosupport said inwardly opening rigid channel-shaped members and toyieldingly resist relative horizontal movement between said rack andsaid inwardly opening rigid channel-shaped members by being stressed inshear and rigid anchoring means rigidly secured to the outer sides ofsaid inwardly opening channel-shaped members and detachably engageablewith the rigid anchorage means aforesaid.

5 The structure defined in claim 1 including rigid abutment membersrespectively fixed to opposed portions of said rigid bar and the endaforesaid of said rack and engageable to limit relative movementtherebetween longitudinally of said rigid bar.

6. The structure defined in claim 2 including rigid abutment membersrespectively fixed to opposed portions of said rigid bars and the endsaforesaid of said rack and engageable to limit relative movementtherebetween longitudinally of said rigid bars.

7. A portable substantially rectangular merchandise carrying rackadapted to extend transversely across an elongated longitudinallyextending chamber of a transport vehicle and having transverselyextending ends adapted to be substantially parallel to opposedlongitudinally extending side walls of said chamber and adapted to beconnected to rigid anchorage means on said opposed side walls, said rackhaving load-sustaining means adapted to be slidably supported upon afloor of the chamber, horizontally extending rigid bars spaced outwardlyfrom and parallel to the ends aforesaid of said rack, a pair of spacedresilient blocks between each rigid bar and an adjacent end aforesaid ofsaid rack, the blocks of each pair being at points spaced longitudinallyof each rigid bar and constituting supporting means therefor, the blocksof each pair being secured at one face thereof to an end aforesaid ofsaid rack in a plane parallel thereto and secured at the opposite facethereof to the adjacent rigid bar in a plane parallel thereto toyieldingly resist relative horizontal movement between said rack andsaid rigid bars by being stressed in shear, a plurality of spaced anchorlugs rigidly secured to each of said rigid bars and detachablyengageable with the rigid anchorage means aforesaid, and rigid abutmentmembers respectively fixed to opposed portions of said rigid bars andthe ends aforesaid of said rack and engageable to limit relativemovement therebetween longitudinally of said rigid bars. I

8. A portable merchandise carrying rack adapted to ex-. tendtransversely across an elongated longitudinally extending chamber of atranspont vehicle and having end portions adapted to be disposedsubstantially parallel to oppose-d longitudinally extending upright sidewalls of said chamber, said end pontions having load sustaining meansadapted to be shiftably supported upon a floor of said chamber, bodiesof resilient material upon the outer sides of and rigidly secured to theend portions of said rack, and rigid anchoring members for said rackupon the outer sides of, rigidly secured to, and supported by saidbodies of resilient material, said rigid anchoring members being adaptedto be detachably interlocked with rigid anchorage means on said opposedlongitudinally extending upright side walls, and said bodies ofresilient material being adapted when said rigid anchoring members aredetachably interlocked with the rigid anchorage means on saidlongitudinally extending upright side walls to yieldingly restrain saidrack against horizontal shifting movement lengthwise of said storagechamber by being stressed in shear.

9. The structure defined in claim 12 including rigid abutment membersrespectively fixed to opposed portions of said transversely extendingrigid bars and said transversely extending end bars and engageable tolimit relative movement therebetween longitudinally of said transverselyextending rigid bars.

10. As an article of manufacture, an elongated portable merchandisecarrying rack to extend across, between, and be detachably secured atopposite ends thereof to rigid anchorage means therefor at oppositeupright 7 sides. of a longitudinally extending elongated storage chamberof a transport vehicle, said rack being provided at opposite endsthereof with transversely spaced upright loadsustaining posts to bemovably supported upon a floor of said storage chamber and having sideand end bars respectively extending between and carried 'by said posts,elastic shock resistant elements carried by said posts and projectingendwise from said rack, and rigid anchoring means for said rack carriedby and projecting outwardly from said elastic shock resistant elementsfor detachable interlocking engagement with'the rigid anchorage meansaforesaid at "opposite upright sides of said storage chamber.

11. An elongated portable merchandise carrying rack to extendtransversely across, between, and be detachably secured at-opposite endsthereof to rigid anchorage means therefor at opposite upright sides of alongitudinally extending elongated storage chamber of a transportvehicle, said rack having load-sustaining means to he movably supportedupon a floor of said storage. chamber, a pair of transversely spacedelastic shock resistant elements carried by and projecting 'endwisefrom-each end of said rack, a transversely extending rigid bar spanningthe space between and carried by each pair of elastic shock resistantelements, and rigid anchoring means for said rack. carried by eachtransversely extending bar and detachably engageable with the rigidanchorage means aforesaid, said elastic shock resisting elements beingoperable to yieldingly resist movement of said rack lengthwise of saidstorage chamber relative to said rigid bar andsaid rigid anchoring meanswhile the latter is detachably engaged with said rigid anchorage means.

12. A portable substantially rectangular merchandise carrying rack toextend transversely across, between, and be detachably secured atopposite ends thereof to rigid anchorage means'therefor at oppositeupright "sides of a longitudinally extending elongated storage chamberof a transport vehicle, said rack being provided at opposite endsthereof with transversely spaced upright load- .sustaining posts to bemovably supported upon a floor of said storage chamber and beingprovided with longitudinally extending side bars and transverselyextending end bars respectively extending between and connected to saidposts, transversely extending rigid bars substantially parallel to andspaced horizontally from "said end bars, rigid anchoring means for saidrack carried by each transversely extending rigid bar and detachablyengageable with the rigid anchorage means aforesaid, and'elastic shockresistant elements between and connected to said posts and" saidtransversely extending rigid bars, said elastic shock resistant elementssupporting said transversely extending rigid bars and the rigidanchoring means carried thereby and being operable to yieldingly resistmovement of said rack lengthwise of said storage chamber relative tosaid rigid bars and said rigid anchoring means while the latter isdetachably engaged with said rigid anchorage means.

13. An elongated portable merchandise carrying rack to extendtransversely across, between, and be detach ably secured at oppositeends thereof to rigid anchorage means therefor at opposite upright sidesof a longitudinally extending elongated storage chamber of a transportvehicle, said rack being provided at opposite ends thereof withtransversely spaced upright load-sustaining posts to be movablysupported upon a floor of said storage chamber and being provided withlongitudinally extending side bars and transverse-1y extending end barsrespectively extending between and connected to said posts, rigid meansat opposite ends ofsaid rack at approximately the level of and spacedoutwardly from said end bars for detachably anchoring said rack to therigid anchorage means therefor at opposite upright sides of said storagechamber, and "elastic shock resisting connections between said rigidanchoring means and said upright posts constituting supporting means forsaid rigid anchoring means and operable to yieldingly resist movement ofsaid rack lengthwise of said storage chamber relative to said rigidanchoring means While the latter is detachably anchored to said rigidanchorage means.

ReferencesCited in the file of this patent Chapman et al. Feb. 17, 1959

